"Suicide is a national problem...Suicide prevention is a national priority."

Senate Resolution #84 and House Resolution #212, unanimously passed during the 105th Congress

What to Do if You Spot the Signs

People who attempt suicide often send out warning signs before they actually make an attempt. These signs may be loud and clear, or low-key and subtle. Knowing how to recognize these signs is the first step in taking action that could save someone's life. Read more

Call for help. Get in touch with your local crisis line for other ways to help.

Please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889)

Red Nacional de Prevencion del Suicidio 1-888-628-9454

Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline:
1-800-273-TALK (8255) and press 1

Coming Together to Care

 

Watvh Videos of Hope and Help NowTrue Stories of Hope and Help Videos Online Now


Mental Health America of Texas announces the availability of five short videos featuring youth and young adults from central Texas sharing their stories of hope and help. These videos feature the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number and follow their guidelines for suicide prevention.

These true stories are from high school or college age youth who have either reached out for help themselves when they were severely depressed and having suicidal thoughts, or from teens who have reached out to help a friend who was thinking of suicide. 

The videos are sponsored by the Texas Suicide Prevention Council and Mental Health America of Texas in partnership with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Austin Travis County Suicide Prevention Coalition.

View the 4-minutes videos:

You Can Never Count the Stars: Shania and Sydney’s True Story of Help and Hope

Always Tell Someone: Krista’s True Story of Help and Hope for Teen Suicide Prevention

ASK the Question: Kurt’s True Story of Help and Hope for College Suicide Prevention

Good Friends are Essential: Zach’s True Story of Help and Hope for College Suicide Prevention

Ribbons of Hope: Maggie’s True Story of Help and Hope for Teen Suicide Prevention

Videos are also available on You Tube - http://www.youtube.com/mhatexas
and Vimeo - http://vimeo.com/mhatexas

For more information click here.


DoctorTEXAS SYMPOSIUM PROVIDES INFORMATION ON BEST PRACTICES, NEW LEGISLATION

The Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium, Coming Together to Care, brought together over 600 mental health professionals, educators, family member survivors, military and veterans to network and learn about recent programs, legislation and research in suicide prevention. Featured speakers at the June event in San Marcos were Craig J. Bryan, Alex E. Crosby, Thomas E. Ellis, Thomas Joiner and Scott Poland.

The Texas Suicide Prevention Council, composed up of over 40 local coalitions and statewide groups and agencies, presented suicide prevention leadership awards to the National Association of Social Workers Texas Chapter and the Mental Health Task Force of Brazoria County.

Policy leadership awards were also presented to legislative sponsors of HB 1386, which requires school districts to include suicide prevention programs in school district improvement plans. The bill also requires that a list of best-practice based programs be provided to school districts by the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Education Agency. Legislators honored included Rep. Garnet J. Coleman, Senator Rodney Ellis, Reps. Jessica Farrar, Marisa Marquez, Lois W. Kolkhorst and Sen. Florence Shapiro.

The symposium was sponsored by the Texas Suicide Prevention Council and Mental Health America of Texas. Funding for the symposium was courtesy of the Texas Department of State Health Services, Office of Title V and Family Health.

Symposium PowerPoint presentations and handouts are available here.

Free, Small & Easy App to Save Lives Around You

Now Available on iTunes!

Mental Health America of Texas is proud to announce a small iPhone App for suicide prevention which is freely distributable everywhere.

This app was developed from a non-proprietary suicide prevention training program called ASK (ASK about suicide / Seek more information / Know where to refer) which was also developed by Mental Health America of Texas. The suicide prevention app is supported by the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

We urge you to take a moment and download this app, because when you or your friends are in crisis, a shortcut to the right help can make a huge difference in its outcome.

Learn easy steps to help prevent suicide in your community right now. Click the link above to open iTunes and download, or search "suicide prevention" in the App Store on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

You really can help save a life!

Introducing At-Risk for Texas High School Educators

The interactive training simulation helps educators build skills and confidence to identify and refer students in psychological or suicidal distress and is available only to Texas public high school educators.

The free training will help high school faculty and administrators understand their role in identifying common signs and symptoms of psychological distress and have the confidence to take appropriate action, such as a referral to the school counselor.

The one-hour At-Risk training, approved by the Texas Education Agency for CPE credit, uses a research-based approach and proven techniques for identifying and approaching distressed students in order to take appropriate action.

This training is open only to those affiliated with Texas public high schools. If you have a special request, please contact Mary Ellen Nudd, menudd@mhatexas.org.

Open an Account and Access the Training

School outreach materials

Coming Together To Care

Suicide in Texas is a serious public health concern-and one that might be addressed successfully through a coordinated and comprehensive approach aimed at prevention.

Consider the toll it is taking on our state:

  • Slightly more than six Texans die from suicide each day with more deaths overall by suicide than by homicide.
  • Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death for Texans and the third leading cause of death among youth ages fifteen to twenty-four, and the second leading cause of death for college age students.
  • Regardless of age, males are more likely to die because of suicide than females.
  • Suicide rates (number of deaths per 100,000 population) tend to be highest among senior Texans and the largest numbers of deaths by suicide tend to be in the middle ages.
  • Suicide cuts across all ages, all ethnicities and both genders. Although Anglo white males have had the highest suicide rates, in Texas we have seen an increase in deaths by suicide for young African American males and an increase in deaths by suicide for middle aged women.
  • National surveys indicate that Hispanic female teens report the highest number of suicide attempts, and Texas has more reported attempts for this group than those reported nationally.

Ask the Question

Everyone in Texas can be a "gatekeeper" and help save a life by talking about suicide prevention. We call this the ASK suicide prevention process. Asking someone about suicide ("are you considering taking your life", Seeking more information about their situation and Referring them to help can save a life.

The heightened period of suicidality is a matter of hours so anything you can do to make it more difficult can prevent someone from completing a suicidal act. In addition, means restriction can make a difference and make it more difficult for individuals to kill themselves. Since firearms are the predominant means to suicide in Texas, locking them up or securing them with a trigger lock saves lives. Medication should also be kept in a secure area.